A strange parasitic plant that looks like a scowling owl has won a global photo competition for the best photo of a plant or fungus. Located in the dark soil, the “owl” glows an eerie emerald, according to World Nature Photography Awards.
Photographer Chatri Lertintanakorn took a mesmerizing photo in a secluded wildlife sanctuary in Thailand, where flowering bodies of miniature plants pop up from the ground at the base of the trees.
plant, Thismia thaithongianais a myco-heterotrophic species, meaning it is not photosynthesize but gets energy and nutrients from mushrooms — more precisely, a fungus associated with the roots of trees. In 2018, scientists discovered it in Doi Hua Mot mountains in Thailand.
Not much is known about this plant, but its peculiar body shape has led to its name “Phisawong Ta Nok Hook”, which translates to “mysterious owl’s eye”. according to Nation Thailand.
T. thaithongiana spends most of its life underground until it bursts open to reveal its peculiar fruiting body.
Lertintanakorn learned about the rare species during a meeting with photographer Suchat Changhomhuan, one of its discoverers.
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With the help of Chanhomhuan, Lertsintanakorn located the plant in the Huai Kha Khaeng nature reserve in Thailand’s Tak province. “I’ve noticed that it grows mostly near the base of trees, so it’s easy to miss,” Lertintanakorn told Live Science in an email.
Its location is prime real estate for a tiny parasite. As a rule, some species of fungi live around and inside the roots of huge trees. They create an underground network in search of minerals, which they pass on to the trees. In return, the trees give them nutritious sugar – in an alliance known as a symbiotic relationship.
T. thaithongiana interrupts this relationship by stealing the nutrients produced by the fungi.
T. thaithongiana visible only when its fruiting body grows out of the ground, and even then it is incredibly tiny. “I was surprised by its tiny size, which was only 2 to 8 millimeters [0.08 to 0.3 inch] in length,” he said. Lertintanakorn’s image was awarded gold in the Plants and Fungi category at the World Nature Photography Awards. The competition, which was established in 2020, is now in its fifth year, with more than 3,000 images submitted this year.
“Our winners never fail to take our breath away with their stunning images. As always, it’s a pleasure to see the amazing caliber of entrants,” said Adrian Dinsdale, co-founder of the World Nature Photography Awards at statement.
Other notable images from the competition include a fascinating collection of olive baboons (Papio anubis) heads and skulls at the Abamey voodoo market in Benin, orca (Orcinus orca) splitting a ball of herring underwater while a group of crabs cling to a lava-covered shoreline beneath a wave of water.
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